Michele Bachmann suspends presidential campaign after Iowa

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has suspended her bid for the White House after finishing sixth in the Iowa caucuses.

Michele Bachmann announced she was pulling out of the Republican race following the Iowa result (Pic: AP)

Mitt Romney won the first contest to decide who will challenge president Barack Obama in November, narrowly edging out Rick Santorum by just eight votes.

Following the confirmation of the result, Mrs Bachmann – who only received five per cent of the vote â announced she was suspending her campaign, telling a news conference: âI have decided to stand aside.â

The Minnesota congresswoman’s decision leaves six contenders left in the fight to become the official Republican candidate for 2012.

Former Republican candidate John McCain took to Twitter shortly after her announcement to say: âCongrats to @MicheleBachmann for an admirable & honorable campaign. I’m sure she will continue to serve our country well.â

Surrounded by his wife and family, Mr Romney ignored barbs from other contenders for the nomination, focusing his remarks on President Obama, saying he has mismanaged foreign policy, the economy and the national deficit.

Mr Romney said he was the candidate best equipped to manage the economy, and vowed to scrap Mr Obama’s signature healthcare plan.

With the words ‘Game on’, Mr Santorum thanked God and his supporters as he vowed to press ahead with the same conservative themes that put him in contention to win Iowa’s caucuses.